Electoral commission opens inquiry into Matjošaitytė’s work for party

Lithuania’s Central Electoral Commission has opened an inquiry into services provided by commission member Laura Matjošaitytė to the Nemuno Dawn political party, LRT reported.

The decision followed the discovery that a legal document submitted by Nemuno Dawn to the commission in 2024, titled “On the sources of political party financing,” had been prepared by Matjošaitytė. Neither the party nor Matjošaitytė declared their previous cooperation.

Nine commission members voted in favour of the inquiry, while Justas Pankauskas abstained. Edita Karčiauskienė, who was nominated to the commission by Nemuno Dawn, recused herself from the vote.

The commission assigned the inquiry to be completed by December 17. Commission chair Lina Petronienė said it was necessary to establish the scale and scope of the services provided to the party.

Petronienė previously described the situation as highly uncomfortable, noting that requirements for financing party campaigns are linked to electoral transparency and democratic resilience. She said, however, that she could not take steps to remove Matjošaitytė from the commission because only the institution that appointed her, in this case the Seimas, could do so.

The Chief Official Ethics Commission is also examining the cooperation between Matjošaitytė and Nemuno Dawn. It is expected to decide whether to investigate a possible conflict between her public and private interests.

Matjošaitytė chaired the Central Electoral Commission from 2017 to 2021. She returned as a commission member in 2025 after the Seimas approved her nomination by then-Justice Minister Rimantas Mockus, who had been delegated by Nemuno Dawn.

After initially declining to say whether she had been paid by the party, Matjošaitytė later said she had not earned any money. She has refused to comment on the details of her professional relationship with Nemuno Dawn, citing attorney-client privilege.